Apple dominates the tablet market to date. In fact, the iPad still ‘is’ the tablet market and accounted for somewhere between 60 to 70% of tablet shipments in 2011. Samsung comes in a by no means close second at a mere 5 - 10% of the 2011 market. However, it is the only other serious player in the segment, with the second largest share.

Samsung tablets have the advantage of huge internal breadth of supply, especially as the supplier of the key 'SuperAMOLED' technology from Samsung (different from generic AMOLED) in that it integrates 'on cell' touch technology that helps decrease overall thickness, and should ultimately be more cost effective. Samsung is clearly a competent hardware manufacturer, but unlike with their smartphone products, they have not as yet overtaken Apple by any means in volume shipments in the tablet segment. Cracking Apple's product desirability code is an elusive goal for all competitors.

The Galaxy Tab serves two purposes - to offer a smaller alternative to the Galaxy 10.1" tab at a lower price point, but it is also probably a strategic preemptive move to be in a market niche that Apple is widely rumored to be looking at attacking with a ~7" version of the iPad expected later in 2012. Two versions of the Galaxy Tab (3G and 4G) exist for different markets. This one is an LTE model from Verizon for consumer use in the U.S.

The Galaxy Tab 7.7 is the 5th Galaxy Tab that Samsung has produced and is the thinnest and lightest of the series while maintaining high battery capacity; it features LTE wireless connectivity. It is the first sub 8" diagonal Galaxy Tab to feature 1280x800 resolution, and has the fastest processor to date (1.4GHz with 8Gbits (1GB) of DRAM on top). It weighs in at 335 grams and is less than 8mm thick, with the usual stable of expected features beyond the SuperAMOLED HD resolution display, which includes full 802.11 ab/g/n, Bluetooth, and a 3MP rear camera, complemented by a 2MP front-facing camera module.

The Galaxy Tab 7.7 is the first application for an HD ~7" format SuperAMOLED display for Samsung. It also has the fastest Exynos processor (4210) applied to date in Galaxy Tab products, and also features the latest amount of DRAM (8Gbits/1GB) to support it. Most of the choices of parts and vendors are unsurprising and are recycled from other Samsung Galaxy products.

Tablets have become a popular consumer item and most designs, such as this, are aimed at the mass market. Furthermore, the smaller size is typically an attempt to offer a lower entry point for consumers, though many may simply find the smaller format more portable and therefore, practical.

Initially unveiled at IFA 2011, in the U.S., Verizon carries the Galaxy Tab 7.7 LTE for a 'full retail price' of $699.99 and a two-year contract subsidized price of $449.99. There is a Wi-Fi version of the product that retails for less. There is also a global (3G) version that retails for $649 USD.

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